What's more interesting is that this individual was a former MAC Ref. It seems odd to me that with all the money the NFL makes, when their part time refs don't work out due to contract issues they go raid the MAC for officials. This really highlights how the NFL needs to formalize their officiating structure.

One of the largest pro sports in America is freaking raiding the MAC...no wonder they fail to notice all kinds of conduct/bounty issues and things like holding are often called in a rather arbitrary fashion.

This really highlights how the NFL needs to formalize their officiating structure.

Comments like these can obscure the full picture. They actually have a very, very structured set-up for officials to progress to the NFL. Plus, here are your major considerations that are going unnoticed:

A) BCS league officials are not necessarily looking to move up to the NFL. For some, the B10, SEC, etc are their destinations by choice.

B) For those that do want the NFL, they are not going to sacrifice potential future professional relationships by going against the NFL Officials Union. They are not going to be scabs.

C) It's a lot of work to make it to the MAC. She's not that bad

D) With the "next generation" of officials opting to not take this opportunity to become a scab and get their 15 minutes of fame, you're left with the best of the rest: Older and/or less promising officials who have plateaued at their respective collegiate level.

I think she's a sideline official. They have a very specific set of things they are looking at and for. You don't need to play the game to know what out of bounds, offsides are. And the more subjective penalties, like holding, PI, etc, have very, very specific definitions. You don't need to have played.

Playing a couple years when you're a kid versus studying rules and game film for a decard or so... I'll go with the later being more of a factor.

as did a few other girls in my town (sidenote: there must've been something in the water, all our boys' teams sucked but we had a lot of freak female athletes go on to play D1 basketball and field hockey). Looks like we're qualified!

Well, considering the vast majority of NFL refs didn't play the sport beyond high school (if at all), this argument really doesn't hold much merit unless you believe that playing a sport 30+ years ago gives you some divine knowledge on how offensive linemen hold tackles.

If she's good at her job, she should be out there. Same as every male referee out there.

It is interesting that it took the need for replacement referees to break this barrier. There's something oddly poignant about this moment, I think, and something telling about the culture of the NFL and NFL officiating.

Actually, it's a pretty cool story - it's just a little sad that it takes things like contract disputes to force change sometimes.

Why was change necessary in this field? It is a male sport designed by and for males. If a woman wants to be a refer should have that chance. But I don't see why we should focus on involving more women in the game when they cannot even play the sport.

I think it's all fine and well if she's actually a good referee and is qualified, but if this is some sort of politically-correct feminist-enacted publicity stunt to appeal to a "progressive" society, I don't like it and that ninny Goodell can make another "F" notch for FAILURE in his belt.

Just take away the "Pink" month, please. We are all "aware" of breast cancer and I doubt many women are encouraged to get mammograms by watching an NFL game. Perhaps raising awareness about prostate cancer would be more appropriate, given the audience and the surprisingly muted public knowledge of such a deadly disease. Just my thoughts.

You missed the point, I am all for awareness of any cancer, but I am stating that awareness could be better spread. I would find it strange if, say, Rosie O'Donnell suddenly started to try to spread prostate cancer awareness on her show, as it wouldn't be received by the intended audience. That is why you don't see advertisements for those mop-brooms during football games, you see beer and car commercials, because they are targeted to an audience.

I didn't mean to offend as it is a sensitive topic, but I do believe I have a reasonable point.

Eh I get what you're saying, but what would you like the NFL to do? It's not like they can suddenly expand their audience to include millions of women. Everything helps. And btw Herm, you're still the shiznit son.

I don't know that the wearing pink is supposed to draw female fans. It's probably not going to. And women don't watch as much football. It's a fact. I would start football teams wearing pink is a p.r. thing of limited utility

I think Herm was saying that since most of the fans of football are men and men watch it more, maybe it would be nice to let people know that prostate cancer is about 10% more common than breast cancer. How many people actually know that?

or how about donating the $$ spent on special pink jerseys/armbands to outfit the entire NFL to you know, actual research? I agree with you Herm, the fact everyone is rocking pink swag has no benefit to the actual issue at hand.

Yeah, screw those feminists. What's up with corporate giants like the NFL trying to appease the politically correct and the progressives with equal opportunity for women. The idea that women should get equal opporunities as men is just DUMB.

I happen to agree with most of your post, but Jesus Christ, Herm. Let's leave religion and politics out of this - here's a hint: if your post includes "politically correct", "feminist", "progressive", and "raising awareness" in it, it's probably a little overly political.

Interesting thing in that article. It suggests that part of the reason women get in more wrecks is because men can model 3D behavior in their heads better than women, but this was an interesting paragraph:

Intersections are particularly troublesome for women: They're often t-boned on the driver's side while trying to make a left turn, or are hit on the passenger side while trying to make a right-hand turn, the research shows.

If that's exactly what he meant to write, it basically means that spatial analysis has nothing to do with women and car accidents.....they just pull up to intersections and throw traffic laws out the window.

So I was reading a book about the Comanches. Like most Native peoples they had very strictly defined gender roles. The women cooked, cleaned, raised the children, set up camp, tore down camp (nomadic tribes), made clothes, tended to the horses, gathered food, tanned hides, and made pemmican.

The men hunted buffalo, made war, slept, ate, and had sex with their multiple wives.

I know that's not at all relevant to the discussion, it's just really freakin' awesome.

Having seen the first woman at the Indy 500, then a few years later we had Danica Patrick arrive and became a media magnet. Danica was fine for a few years, but diverted attention from more worthy drivers.

Hopefully, the new ref will stay in the background, and just do her job. I like the martial arts background; it may come in handy in dealing with irate players and coaches!

The first women in the Indianapolis 500, Janet Gutherie, was a Michigan grad. It was the 1970s, more difficult for a woman to get into a race car (different views then), and quite a bit more dangerous.

If THIS is the post that doesn't make you come back, then maybe MGoBlog isn't the place for you regardless of your gender. Most people have a sense of humor, and I suspect women can laugh at these jokes as much as men.

And you think this is bad, here's why I can't play COD online anymore.